<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Duende</TITLE>
<link href="../archive-file-stylesheet.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet">
</HEAD>
<BODY>

<img src=../../yuletide_title.jpg alt="while we tell of yuletide treasure" border=0><p>
<TABLE class=layout>
<TR>
<TD class=sidebar width=100 valign=top>
<center>
<A HREF=../../>Home</A><BR><BR>
<A HREF=../quicksearch.html>Quicksearch</a><BR>
<A HREF=../../cgi-bin/search.cgi>Search Engine</a><BR>
<A HREF=../../cgi-bin/random.cgi>Random Story</a><BR><BR>
<A HREF=../../cgi-bin/upload.cgi>Upload Story</a><BR><BR>
</center>
</TD>
<TD>
<TABLE class=form><TR>
<TD width=1%>&nbsp;</TD>
<TD>
<BR><BR>
<center>
<h2>Duende</h2>
<BR>
Fandom: <a href="/get_fandom_quicksearch.cgi?Fandom=Patrick OBrian - Master and Commander series">Patrick OBrian - Master and Commander series</a>
<BR>
Written for: Ione in the Yuletide 2006 Challenge<BR>
by <a href="/cgi-bin/contact.cgi?filename=33/duende">astolat</a><br>
<p>Yes&#44; I totally was doing the misdirection thing there in the summary&#44; cough cough&#46; So&#44; yes! This was a pinch hit done in the last fifteen minutes before the stroke of midnight&#44; I just whipped it out&#44; and &#45;&#45; okay, that is a lie&#46; Actually this story has been languishing for about 3 years on my hard drive&#44; refusing to end and be posted&#44; and then in the panicked frenzy of Yuletide Madness&#44; I thought of it&#44; and somehow the resolution came to me&#46; Many thanks to damned_colonial for beta on this&#44; lo these many moons ago&44; and to Ione for providing the kick in the rear&#46;</p>
</center>
<BR><BR>


In the warm, dim candlelight, the pale marble might almost have been the skin of a living woman. The man standing by the tomb did not touch the effigy, as if to preserve the illusion for himself; his own face was scarcely less pale than the carved one, and they seemed well-matched in this, although the serene death-mask was beautiful, and his face was not. <BR><BR>


REDACTED<BR><BR>

"Certainly, if I wished to permit that creature Harte to sell me to the highest bidder, like a piece of cattle," Stephen said. "I had not the least desire to be bonded to that tyrant Bonaparte, nor to anyone who should use me as some sort of shield for delivering insults, or as some sort of ornament. My dear, I beg you will not take the least notice of anything the world should say upon the subject. I am happy as I had never hoped to be in life again." <BR><BR>



<center>
<BR>&nbsp;<!-- COMMENTLINK START -->
Please <A HREF="http://yuletidetreasure.org/cgi-bin/comment.cgi?filename=33/duende&filetype=html&title=Duende">post a comment</A> on this story.
<BR>Read <a href="http://yuletidetreasure.org/archive/33/duende_cmt.html">posted comments</a>.<!-- COMMENTLINK END -->
</center>
<BR><BR><BR>
</TD></TR></TABLE>

</TD>
<TD WIDTH=100>&nbsp;</TD>
</TR></TABLE>
<BR><BR>

</BODY>
</HTML>
